Indiana Senator helps introduce bill to ban cellphones in military classrooms

(WTWO/WAWV)— Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.) and Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) introduced a new bill Wednesday centered on banning cellphones in Department of Defense classes.

The bill is entitled the Restoring our Educational Focus on Children of U.S. Servicemembers at DoDEA (REFOCUS DoDEA) Act. They believe the bill will help students focus more on learning by banning cellphones in the classrooms of Department of Defense K-12 schools that teach many children of U.S. military members. The Department of Defense Education Activity website states that it operates 161 schools in 9 districts located in 11 foreign countries, 7 states, and 2 territories across 10 time zones, serving more than 67,000 students.

“Cell phones in the classroom distract from learning and lead to all kinds of issues for students,” said Senator Banks. “My bill with Senator Slotkin will get them out of our schools on military bases.”

The bill will not only require DoDEA schools to issue regulations that prohibit students from using cellphones at all during the school day, but will also establish appropriate exceptions to the rule, such as for medical emergencies. The bill will also allow schools with the right to choose how each will store the phones. According to the news release from Senator Banks’ office, Research shows that cellphones in classes harm performance, focus, and mental health. The release claims that 76% of public educational institutions now ban cellphones during class.

“At school, students should be able to focus, learn, and build real relationships, and we cannot shy away from taking bold action to support that goal, including banning cell phones in the classroom,” said Senator Slotkin. “This bill does just that in Department of Defense-run schools and is a straightforward step backed by research, educators, and parents.”

To read the full text of the bill, you can click here.